An unimaginable tragedy unfolded in Ohio, United States, where five people lost their lives while trying to rescue someone who was in danger of drowning in a river.

According to local station WMAR-2, the incident occurred on Sunday on the Saito River in the Columbus suburb of Powell, where a group of people had gathered to spend the day near the water.

According to Delaware County Sheriff Jeffrey Balzer, it all began when a member of the group entered the river to swim and began to struggle.

"That’s when the tragedy began to unfold," the sheriff said, explaining that one after another, other people jumped into the water to help, but they, too, were swept away and found themselves in danger.

Five people have died on a river in Ohio after several of them went into the water to help another person who was struggling to swim, authorities said Monday.

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Rescuers who rushed to the scene located two women in the river on Sunday. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, they were pronounced dead at the hospital.

On Monday, the search continued, and authorities recovered the bodies of three more men from the river, bringing the total number of victims to five.

A child ran into the street to ask for help.

A passing driver alerted the authorities, calling 911 when he saw a terrified child running alone on a nearby street seeking help.

According to authorities, two children under the age of 10 survived the tragedy and were temporarily placed in the care of social services until their relatives could pick them up. Among them is the child who managed to escape the area and alert others to what was happening.

Local authorities are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances under which the tragedy unfolded on the river.

SOURCE: Proto Thema